been a Fountain of Mercy to thousands in Bengal' for ten years past, it having been established in the first year of the new century.* Mr. Brown' would have probably returned from India with his large family by this time, but his diffusive benevolence in private charity, and in public undertakings, both in India and England, and i the frequent demands on a man in his public station, he being at the head of the Church in Bengal, have not permitted him to increase his fortune suitably. And now, the prospect which opens to his view of being more extensively useful than before, in encouraging translations of the Scriptures, in promoting the objects of the Bible Society, and in educating his sons for the Oriental Church, makes him willing to remain a few years longer in India.

THE ARMENIANS.

A LEARNED author, in a work published about the beginning of the last century, entitled " The

*This Institution not only assists occasionally, but pensions permanently, Europeans, Mahomelans, and HINDOOS.

• Light of the Gospel, rising on all nations,” ob66 serves that the Armenian Christians will be emi"nently qualified for the office of extending the "knowledge of Christianity throughout the na"tions of Asia."* This is undoubtedly true. Next to the Jews, the Armenians will form the most generally useful body of Christian Missionaries. They are to be found in everyprincipal city of Asia; they are the general merchants of the East, and are in a state of constant motion from Canton to Constantinople. Their general character is that of a wealthy, industrious, and enterprising people. They are settled in all the principal places of India, where they arrived many centuries before the English. Wherever they colonize, they build Churches, and observe the solemnities of the Christian Religion in a decorous manner. Their Ecclesiastical Establishment in Hindostan is more respectable than that of the English. Like us, they have three Churches in the three capitals, one at Calcutta, one at Madras, and one at Bombay; but they have also Churches in the interior of the country.† The Bishop sometimes

1

* Fabricii Lux Evangelii, p. 651.

† In Bengal alone, they have Churches at Dacca, Sydabad, and Chinsurah.

visits Calcutta; but he is not resident there. The proper country of these Christians is Arme

nia, the greater part of which is subject to the Persian Government; but they are scattered all over the Empire, the commerce of Persia being chiefly conducted by Armenians. Their Patriarch resides at Erivan, not far from Mount Ararat.

The history of the Armenian Church is very interesting. Of all the Christians in central Asia they have preserved themselves most free from Mahomeḍan and Papal corruptions. The Pope assailed them for a time with great violence, but with little effect. The Churches in lesser Armenia indeed consented to an union which did not long continue; but those in Persian Armenja maintained their independence; and they retain their ancient Scripture, doctrines, and worship, to this day. "It is marvellous," says an intelligent traveller, who was much among them, "how the Armenian Christians have pre"served their faith equally against the vexa"tious oppression of the Mahomedans their

Sovereigns, and against the persuasions of "the Romish Church, which for more than two "centuries has endeavoured, by Missionaries,

46

Priests, and Monks, to attach them to her "Communion. It is impossible to describe the

ន

"artifices and expences of the Court of Rome,

to effect this object; but all in vain."*

The Bible was translated into the Armenian Language in the fifth century, under very auspicious circumstances, the history of which has come down to us. It has been allowed, by competent judges of the language, to be a most faithful translation. La Croze calls it "The Queen of Versions." This Bible has ever remained in the possession of the Armenian people; and many illustrious instances of genuine and enlightened piety occur in their history. The manuscript copies not being sufficient for the demand, a council of Armenian Bishops assembled in 1662, and resolved to call in aid the art of Printing, of which they had heard in Europe. For this purpose they applied first to France, but the Catholic Church refused to print their Bible. At length it was printed at Amsterdam in 1666, and afterwards two other editions in 1668 and 1698. Since that time it has

* Chardin, vol. II. p. 232.

Mr. Joannes Lassar, who is now making a version of the Scriptures in the Chinese Language, in Bengal, is an Armenian Christian, and translates chiefly from the Armenian Bible. But he also understands English, and consults the English version.,

been printed at Venice. One of the editions which the Author has seen, is not inferior, in beauty of typography, to the English Bible. How far these editions might have supplied the Churches in Persia at that time, he does not know; but, at present, the American Scriptures meman are very rare in that country, bearing no proportion to the Armenian population; and, in India, a copy is scarcely to be purchased at any price.

The Armenians in Hindostan are our own subjects. They acknowledge our government in India, as they do that of the Sophi in Persia; and they are entitled to our regard. They have preserved the Bible in its purity; and their doctrines are, as far as the Author knows, the doctrines of the Bible. Besides, they maintain the solemn observance of Christian worship, throughout our Empire, on the seventh day; and they have as many spires pointing to heaven among the Hindoos, as we ourselves. Are such a people then entitled to no acknowledgment on our part, as fellow-Christians? Are they for ever to be ranked by us with Jews, Mahomedans, and Hindoos"* Would it not become

* Sarkies Joannes, an Armenian merchant of Calcutta, when he heard of the King's recovery from illness, in 1789,